Voghera railway station
Encyclopedia
Voghera railway station serves the town and comune
of Voghera
, in the region
of Lombardy
, northern Italy
. Opened in 1858, it forms part of the Alessandria–Piacenza railway, and is also the terminus of a railway from Milan via Pavia.
The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI). However, the commercial area of the passenger building
is managed by Centostazioni
. Train services are operated by Trenitalia
. Each of these companies is a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato
(FS), Italy's state-owned rail company.
Due to its strategic position, the station is an important trading node, and one of the major railway stations in Italy's north-west.
, at the northern edge of the town centre.
–Casteggio section of the Alessandria–Piacenza railway.
On 15 November 1867, the station became a junction station
, upon the inauguration of the final, Alessandria
–Voghera, section of the Milan–Pavia–Voghera railway.
On 31 May 1962, the station was the scene of a serious train crash
, in which 63 people were killed and 40 injured.
or on active service.
On the platform adjacent to track 1 are a newsstand and a retailer of tobacco products. Near the newsstand, a plaque unveiled on the 40th anniversary of the 1962 train crash recalls the tragedy.
In a lateral building on the Genoa side are the office of the railway police and the public conveniences. Other offices are located in another building, in the direction of Milan.
Yet another building once served as the accommodation for visiting rail crew.
A platform adjacent to the passenger building is used to provide access to track 1. To serve the other tracks, there are three island platforms, all of them linked with the passenger building via three pedestrian underpasses.
The island platforms serving tracks 2/3 and 4/5 have full length canopies; the other island platform, which serves tracks 6/7, has no shelter.
There are also other tracks, used only by goods trains.
. However, as an intersection of two major travel routes, it is also frequently used for changing trains.
In the immediate vicinity of the railway station is the suburban bus station, as well as a multi-transport facility. Both are reached from the station's eastern pedestrian underpass, which is longer than the other two underpasses.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Voghera
Voghera
thumb|250px|The Castle of Voghera in a 19th century etching.Voghera is a town and comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Pavia...
, in the region
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
. Opened in 1858, it forms part of the Alessandria–Piacenza railway, and is also the terminus of a railway from Milan via Pavia.
The station is currently managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI). However, the commercial area of the passenger building
Station building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger train station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers.A station building is not to be confused with the station itself...
is managed by Centostazioni
Centostazioni
' is a member company of Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato group. It was created to rehabilitate, develop and manage 103 medium sized Italian railway stations.-History:...
. Train services are operated by Trenitalia
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. Trenitalia is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, itself owned by the Italian Government. It was created in 2000 following the EU directive on the deregulation of rail transport.-Passenger transport:...
. Each of these companies is a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato is a government-owned holding which manage infrastructure and service on the Italian rail network. The subsidiary Trenitalia is the main rail operator in Italy.-Organization:Ferrovie dello Stato subsidiaries are:...
(FS), Italy's state-owned rail company.
Due to its strategic position, the station is an important trading node, and one of the major railway stations in Italy's north-west.
Location
Voghera railway station is situated at Piazzale Guglielmo MarconiGuglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand...
, at the northern edge of the town centre.
History
The station was opened on 25 January 1858, together with the rest of the AlessandriaAlessandria railway station
Alessandria railway station serves the city and comune of Alessandria, in the Piedmont region, northwestern Italy. Opened in 1850, it forms part of the Turin–Genoa railway, and is also a junction for six other lines, to Piacenza, Arona, Pavia, Cavallermaggiore, Ovada and San Giuseppe di Cairo,...
–Casteggio section of the Alessandria–Piacenza railway.
On 15 November 1867, the station became a junction station
Junction station
Junction station usually refers to a railway station situated or close to a junction where lines to several destinations diverge. The usual minimum is three incoming lines...
, upon the inauguration of the final, Alessandria
Pavia railway station
Pavia railway station serves the city and comune of Pavia, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1862, it forms part of the Milan–Pavia–Voghera railway, and is also a terminus of four secondary railways, linking Pavia with Alessandria, Cremona, Vercelli and Stradella.The station is...
–Voghera, section of the Milan–Pavia–Voghera railway.
On 31 May 1962, the station was the scene of a serious train crash
Voghera train crash
The Voghera train crash is considered one of the most serious incidents in the history of the Italian railways. It happened at track three of Voghera railway station, on the night of 31 May 1962. Sixty-four people lost their lives, and 40 were seriously injured....
, in which 63 people were killed and 40 injured.
Buildings
Inside the passenger building are the ticket office, waiting room, a bar operated by Chef Express, and most of the offices and rooms. The ticket office has a large plaque, placed in 1988, recalling the Vogherese rail workers who have fallen for freedomItalian resistance movement
The Italian resistance is the umbrella term for the various partisan forces formed by pro-Allied Italians during World War II...
or on active service.
On the platform adjacent to track 1 are a newsstand and a retailer of tobacco products. Near the newsstand, a plaque unveiled on the 40th anniversary of the 1962 train crash recalls the tragedy.
In a lateral building on the Genoa side are the office of the railway police and the public conveniences. Other offices are located in another building, in the direction of Milan.
Yet another building once served as the accommodation for visiting rail crew.
Station yard
The station yard has seven tracks used for passenger service:- Track 1: mainly for departing medium and long-distance trains (regionalRegional railCommuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
, InterCityInterCityInterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
and Eurostar CityEurostar ItaliaEurostar Italia is a network of Italian high-speed inter-city trains, operated by Trenitalia . Trenitalia states that there are 130 train journeys per day....
) to Torino Porta NuovaTorino Porta Nuova railway stationTorino Porta Nuova station is currently the main railway station of Turin. It is the third busiest station in Italy for passenger flow after Rome Termini and Milan Central, with about 192,000 journeys per day and 70 million travellers a year and a total of about 350 trains per day. It is...
, as well as some trains to AlessandriaAlessandria railway stationAlessandria railway station serves the city and comune of Alessandria, in the Piedmont region, northwestern Italy. Opened in 1850, it forms part of the Turin–Genoa railway, and is also a junction for six other lines, to Piacenza, Arona, Pavia, Cavallermaggiore, Ovada and San Giuseppe di Cairo,...
; - Track 2: mainly for medium and long-distance trains (regional, IC, Eurostar City) towards PiacenzaPiacenza railway stationPiacenza railway station serves the city and comune of Piacenza, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. Opened in 1859, it forms part of the Milan–Bologna railway, and is also a terminus of two secondary railways, linking Piacenza with Alessandria and Cremona, respectively.The station...
. In addition to various towns in Emilia, other termini for trains departing from here are RiminiRimini railway stationRimini railway station is the main station serving the city and comune of Rimini, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. Opened in 1861, it forms part of the Bologna–Ancona railway, and is also a terminus of a secondary railway linking Rimini with Ravenna and Modena.The station is...
, AnconaAncona railway stationAncona railway station, sometimes named Ancona Centrale, is the main railway station of the Italian city of Ancona, in the Marche. It is the most important station of its region and is owned by the Ferrovie dello Stato, the national rail company of Italy.-History:The station was opened on 17...
, Bari CentraleBari Centrale railway stationBari Centrale is the main railway station of the Italian city of Bari, capital of Apulia. It is one of the most important "FS" stations of Italy.-History:The station was first built in 1864 and between 1865 and 1906 5 more platforms were added...
and LecceLecce railway stationLecce railway station serves the city and comune of Lecce, in the region of Apulia, southern Italy. Opened in 1866, it is the southern terminus of the Adriatic Railway , and is also the terminus of two regional lines, the Martina Franca–Lecce railway and the Lecce–Otranto railway.The station is...
; - Track 3: for regional transport: destinations are predominantly MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and AstiAsti railway stationAsti railway station serves the city and comune of Asti, in the Piedmont region, northwestern Italy. Opened in 1849, the station forms part of the Turin–Genoa and Castagnole–Asti–Mortara railways, and is also a junction for two other lines, to Genoa and Chivasso, respectively.The station is...
; - Track 4: for almost all departing trains heading towards GenoaGenova Piazza Principe railway stationGenova Piazza Principe railway station is the central station of Genoa and is located on Piazza Acquaverde, occupying the entire north side of Via Andrea Doria—where the station entrance is located—in the town centre and a short distance from the Palazzo del Principe, from which it takes its name...
. Other destinations are VentimigliaVentimiglia railway stationVentimiglia railway station is the main station of the Italian city of Ventimiglia. It is at the end of three rail routes: the Genoa–Ventimiglia line, the Cuneo–Ventimiglia line and the Marseille–Ventimiglia line. It plays an important role not only in rail transport in Liguria, but also in Italy...
, Albenga, La Spezia CentraleLa Spezia Centrale railway stationLa Spezia Centrale railway station is the main station of La Spezia, situated in the Piazza Medaglie d’Oro in the city centre.-Overview:It is the largest of four stations in the municipal area...
, Livorno CentraleLivorno Centrale railway stationLivorno Centrale railway station is the main station of the Italian city of Livorno. It is situated in the Piazza Dante on the eastern edge of the town. It is on the Pisa–Livorno–Rome line and handles nearly 5,300,000 passengers annually...
, NiceGare de NiceNice Ville is the main railway station in Nice, France.-Overview:The station was completed in 1867 for CF du PLM and by architect Louis Bouchot in Louis XIII style....
, Novi Ligure, Arquata Scrivia, GrossetoGrosseto railway stationGrosseto railway station is the main stationserving the city and comune of Grosseto, in the region of Tuscany, central Italy. Opened in 1864, it forms part of the Pisa–Livorno–Rome railway....
; - Track 5: for InterCity and regional trains heading towards Milan. Some Eurocity trains proceed beyond the LombardianLombardyLombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
capital, to reach Zürich Hauptbahnhof and Schaffhausen in SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
; - Tracks 6 and 7: for regional transportation to and from Milan (Voghera terminus). Other Milanese stations reached by these trains are Milano Centrale, Milano Porta GaribaldiMilano Porta Garibaldi railway stationMilano Porta Garibaldi is a major station in the Italian city of Milan, located just to the north of the neighbourhood known as Porta Garibaldi...
and Milano Greco PirelliMilano Greco Pirelli railway stationMilano Greco Pirelli railway station is one of the main stations serving the city and comune of Milan, capital of the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1914, it is in the north of the city, in the quartiere of Greco. It forms part of the Milan–Monza railway.The station is currently...
. A regional train departs from here for Sesto San Giovanni, and a train operates with limited stops to Milano LambrateMilano Lambrate railway stationMilano Lambrate railway station is one of the main stations serving the city and comune of Milan, capital of the region of Lombardy, northern Italy....
. - Dock platform: faces in an easterly direction, and used occasionally for regional trains to Piacenza.
A platform adjacent to the passenger building is used to provide access to track 1. To serve the other tracks, there are three island platforms, all of them linked with the passenger building via three pedestrian underpasses.
The island platforms serving tracks 2/3 and 4/5 have full length canopies; the other island platform, which serves tracks 6/7, has no shelter.
There are also other tracks, used only by goods trains.
Passenger and train movements
The station has about 4.5 million passenger movements each year. It is used mainly by commuters, travelling for work or study to and from the cities of Milan and PaviaPavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
. However, as an intersection of two major travel routes, it is also frequently used for changing trains.
Interchange
In the square outside the station is a bus stop for urban routes operated by the town of Voghera.In the immediate vicinity of the railway station is the suburban bus station, as well as a multi-transport facility. Both are reached from the station's eastern pedestrian underpass, which is longer than the other two underpasses.
See also
- History of rail transport in Italy
- List of railway stations in Lombardy
- Rail transport in ItalyRail transport in ItalyThe Italian railway system is one of the most important infrastructure in the country, with a total length of . The network is recently growing with the construction of the new high speed rail network....
- Railway stations in ItalyRailway stations in ItalyRailway stations in Italy are maintained and operated by the RFI division of Ferrovie dello Stato Group. A minor part of them is operated by private and regional companies, conceded by the state.-Classification:...